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Friday, May 1, 2015

Julie Budd is a real New Yorker, there was no denying that when I heard her speak with me during this Q&A. An astoundingly gifted performer, she has done recordings, live shows, tv and film. After 40 years in show business (starting out at the ripe old age of 12), she is still a much sought-after, popular and in-demand entertainer. She will be at The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Finger Lakes, New York this Saturday, May 2. She has a new album, They Wrote the Songs. And she has a residency coming up at The Metropolitan Room, NYC starting May 14th. Press inquiries, please contact Richard Skipper Celebrates at 845-365-0720 or at RichardSkipper.com. Personally, I found Julie Budd to be down-to-Earth, considerate and just a complete delight. Enjoy!juliebudd.com

Buddy Beaverhausen: So tell me more about your act at the Metropolitan Room.

Julie Budd: I'm their artist in residency. I'm going to be there in May, in September, October, December this year.

BB: That is great! And what can audiences expect from your shows?

JB: All four shows are called "They Wrote the Songs," which is also the title of my new cd. But each time I come to the Metropolitan Room, it will be another version. Like, this time, it's going to be s combination of the older and newer writers. This time, I'll be sure to add some of the more traditional songwriters because they set the standard for what the younger writers did. And, in December, I'll add some holiday songs. So, each show will present a different take on the same theme. Just so the audience doesn't get bored!

BB: You just won a BroadwayWorld Award.

JB: Yeah, I was thrilled by that.

BB: What other awards do you have at this point?

JB: Oh, I have others but, to be honest with you, I never really think about that stuff. I mean, I have memories and think "Wow, I can't believe I did that" or "I can't believe I knew that person or met that person." But it's really, for me, about looking ahead to what I plant to do, not looking back I'm much more focused on where I'm going tomorrow and not where I've been.

BB: I listened to and thank you for sending a copy on to me. It's very lovely and your voice is still as strong as it was 40 years ago! What do you do to keep it in such good condition?

JB: I'm constantly training. I know some people feel they've done their training and they warm up before they go on-stage. I'm a little more diligent than that. I think, especially as you get older, you really need, you need to train. I mean, our voices do change through various points in your life. When your very young, your voice is changing, as a young adult, in middle age.... So, your voice is always changing. It's not about can you still hit the notes so much as can you still sing them today with as good quality as you did before. So when you say my voice is as strong today as it was years ago, it's thrilling for me to hear because I think, "Good, my work is paying off."

BB: What was the experience of recording that album like for you?

JB: As they all are, it's a lot of work to record. There's an enormous amount of detail to be concerned with. But when you start to see it becoming what you wanted it to be, you just can't wait for it to be in the hands of the public